Thursday, June 11—Kill Devil Hills, NC to Richmond, VA
Normally I would hit the road by 8:00 am. Today my first stop was the Wright Brothers Memorial, which just 5 minutes away but didn’t open until 9:00 am. So I started the morning with a walk on the beach. It was quiet and peaceful, and a refreshing way to begin the day. Continue reading
Wednesday, June 10—Myrtle Beach, SC to Kill Devil Hills, NC
I didn’t think I’d be writing this any time soon, but it was chilly this morning. The roads were cooled by last night’s rainfall, and the sky was overcast. I considered putting on a jacket, but enjoyed being cold, at least for a little while. By noon any concern about a chill became irrelevant as the humidity rose and the sun came out fiercely. Continue reading
Tuesday, June 9—St Augustine, FL to Myrtle Beach, SC
Today’s weather forecast was the most daunting of the trip so far. There seemed to be no reasonable route that would keep me from getting drenched. I stayed on I95 for the first couple of hours in an effort to get ahead of the developing storm. I would usually avoid the morning traffic surrounding a major city. But I’d never been to Jacksonville before, so I rode right through the middle of town. It’s a beautiful city, with the architecture of the Wells Fargo building most notable. Continue reading
Monday, June 8—Jupiter, FL to St Augustine, FL
Yesterday, somewhere along the Everglades, I rode to the southernmost point in my route plan. It felt good to finally turn just short of Miami, head north, and have the sun on my back. I believe the intense sun on my face this past week, along with higher humidity, have made the ride much more tiring. This morning I felt refreshed. As I cruised off of I95 and onto highway 713 at North Fort Pierce, I looked ahead at what appeared to be a dust storm. I barely noticed Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall playing on my stereo as I tried to figure out what was ahead of me. Continue reading
Saturday, June 6—Leesburg, FL to Venice, FL
After a good night sleep and a great spinach omelet by Chef Rick, I headed south towards Venice, FL. It was another beautiful morning but with dark skies to the west…the direction in which I was headed initially. I was planning to leave around 1:00, but the threat of rain encouraged me to leave much earlier. Continue reading
Thursday, June 4— Crawford, FL to Leesburg, FL
T
he end of the ride yesterday and beginning today followed the route of the Big Bend Scenic Byway. My new friend, Gary, who I met in Navarre, cautioned me about bear and black panther sightings in this area. Surely enough, soon after I passed the lighthouse in Point Saint Joe and the town of Apalachicola, I saw my first bear crossing sign. It seemed out of place for some reason. After thinking about it for a few more miles, it made sense. Given the tall evergreen trees and the high humidity, it’s a natural habitat for these and many other animals. The roads in this part of Florida and continuing east and south along highway 98 look like a giant John Deere tractor scratched them out of the forest/jungle. Except for a few clearings to the right or left, you can’t see anything. It’s more like your riding a chute towards a destination you can’t see for the trees. Another observation I made yesterday and today was that the frequent occurrence of hair salons and personal injury attorneys was being crowded out by an ever-increasing number of pawn & gun shops. People in this part of the country, even the most redneck looking, are very polite. Everywhere I went I was called “Sir.” Continue reading
Tuesday, June 2— Abbeville, LA to Navarre, FL
I had a peaceful ride this morning through the Louisiana bayous and past New Orleans. I take the back roads whenever possible because they usually provide a better feel for the area in which I’m traveling. I took highway 98 into East New Orleans. As I passed through and observed the town I realized how different back roads in rural areas are from those in urban areas. Let’s just say that I found myself in the inner city and wasn’t sure that was a good idea. But no turning back! Continue reading
Monday, June 1—San Marcos, TX to Abbeville, LA
I left San Marcos early in an effort to get some miles behind me before the temperature and humidity rose. It was another beautiful morning on the road. About half way from San Marcos to Houston I could smell the effect of the record-setting rain that has fallen over the past week or so. Standing water was everywhere and quickly turning stagnant. It didn’t seem to be very humid in Houston, which surprised me. On the other hand, I think humidity works much like a swamp cooler when riding at a reasonable speed. The evaporation caused by wind actually cools the body. Continue reading
Sunday, May 31—Sanderson, TX to San Marcos, TX
Last night was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a week. I woke up ready to go, proceeded to the office to check out, rang the bell, and unknowingly woke up Dany. He was very polite and insisted I wait for him to prepare a cup of Chai tea for me. I tried to decline, but had a sense that it would be rude to do so. So I told him I’d hang around for a few minutes. He asked if I wanted the tea sweetened, or with a little milk. I responded, somewhat impatiently, that a little milk would be great. Continue reading
Saturday, May 30—Van Horn, TX to Sanderson, TX
New flash! It’s raining in Texas!
I rose early this morning in hopes of making a correspondingly early departure. Unfortunately, there was a thunder and lighting strike alert notification on my weather app, so it made sense to wait out this relatively small storm for an hour. When I left clouds filled the sky and the road exhumed the smell of dampness that one can only associate with a downpour. I was undecided about taking the short or long route to Big Bend National Park. The decision didn’t come until I literally hit the fork in the road. Based on the direction of the storm, I decided on the long route to get as far away as possible from any chance of a lighting strike. It rained for about ten minutes, then the clouds moved on. Continue reading
reDeploying! 